Tough lawyers for tough cases.

Thornton Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If a driver struck you while you were riding your bicycle in Thornton, Colorado, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and losses. At Dormer Harpring, LLC, we understand how difficult moving on from a devastating bicycle accident can be for a survivor. Our local bicycle accident attorneys can help you in many ways, such as by taking care of an insurance claim while you concentrate on healing. Discuss your case in detail with one of our lawyers at no cost or obligation today.

Why Clients Choose Us

  • We believe in quality over quantity. We are not a mill-type law firm that accepts every case. We are selective in the cases that we take so that we can dedicate our full attention to each.
  • Our personal injury lawyers have maintained a 99 percent client success rate. We have achieved hundreds of successful settlements and verdicts in a variety of case types.
  • Our Thornton bicycle accident attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only charge for our services when we win a case. If we don’t win, you won’t pay.

Hiring a Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Benefit You

It could benefit you immensely to hire an attorney to help you with a bicycle accident case in Colorado, especially if you have severe injuries or a challenging personal injury case. While a car insurance company may try to take advantage of you as an unrepresented claimant, it will not if you have a lawyer. The insurance company may offer a higher settlement than you would receive if you represented yourself. This can be critical if you have serious injuries that will require future care, such as physical therapy and rehabilitation. In addition, a lawyer will take care of the legwork of your case for you, from collecting evidence of fault to representing you at a personal injury trial, if necessary.

What Are Common Bicycle Accident Injuries?

Bicycle accident injuries are often severe, as bikers do not have a great deal of protection. Even when wearing a helmet, a bicyclist could suffer serious injuries, including head and brain injuries. Other common types of injuries include:

  • Brain Injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Soft-tissue injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Lacerations
  • Road rash
  • Internal injuries
  • Crush injuries
  • Wrongful death

If you were diagnosed with any type of injury from a bike accident in Thornton, contact our personal injury lawyers to discuss filing a claim.

Top Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Thornton, Colorado

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, there were 92,153 total traffic accidents in 2021. This included 16,050 accidents where the first harmful event was the vehicle striking a bicyclist or motorized bicycle. According to crash statistics, some of the most common causes of bicycle collisions in Colorado are:

  • Distracted driving
  • Drunk or drugged driving
  • Drowsy driving
  • Speeding
  • Following bicycles too closely
  • Making unsafe lane changes
  • Dooring
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way
  • Running red lights and stop signs
  • Breaking other traffic laws
  • Road conditions or bad weather
  • Defective bicycles

Many drivers fail to recognize and respect bicyclists’ rights to the road. They may drive or pass too closely to bicycles, for example, or engage in other behaviors that put bicyclists at risk. If a driver in Colorado caused your bicycle accident, he or she may be financially responsible for your losses.

What Are Your Rights as a Bicyclist in Colorado?

Knowing your rights as a bicyclist in Colorado can help you avoid an accident. It will allow you to understand the traffic laws that apply to you and how to keep yourself safe from collisions with motor vehicles. If it is too late and you’ve already been injured in a bicycle accident in Thornton, learning your rights can help you build an injury claim against the driver who struck you. Some of the key rights given to bicyclists in Colorado are:

  • Right to the road. Many drivers mistakenly believe that bicyclists should ride on the sidewalk, not the road, when the opposite is actually true. Cyclists in Colorado have the same right to use the road as motor vehicle drivers. In fact, many municipalities make bike riding on the sidewalk illegal.
  • Right to space. Motorists must leave at least three feet of space between their vehicles and bicycles when passing them on the road. They should also leave ample space when following behind bicyclists.
  • Right to be free from harassment. Even if a bicyclist cannot keep up with the speed of surrounding traffic, drivers behind the cyclist must be patient and respect the biker’s rights. Harassing, shouting or throwing things at a biker is against the law.

If a motor vehicle driver infringed upon any of your rights as a bicyclist and this caused or significantly contributed to your accident, you may be able to use this as evidence against the driver to recover financial compensation from his or her insurance company. An in-depth review of your case by an attorney at Dormer Harpring, LLC can help you understand if you have a case against a driver – and if so, how much your case is worth.

Compensation for a Bicycle Accident in Thornton

Filing a bicycle accident claim with help from an attorney in Thornton could result in financial compensation for both economic and noneconomic losses. You may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, bicycle repairs, physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. Our injury attorneys in Thornton can give you an accurate evaluation of your case during a case review.

How to Prove Fault After a Bicycle Accident in Thornton

Before you can obtain financial compensation for a bicycle accident in Colorado, you or your attorney must prove that the driver (or another party) is at fault. This is the rule under Colorado’s fault-based insurance system. Proving fault requires a preponderance of the evidence – enough evidence to establish that the defendant is more likely to be responsible for your bicycle accident than not. 

A lawyer can help you gather evidence to support your bicycle accident claim from the very beginning. Evidence may include a police report, signed eyewitness statements, photographs, video surveillance footage, medical records and bicycle accident expert testimony. Then, your lawyer can help you present this evidence in a compelling way to maximize your chances of a successful settlement.

Bicycle Accident Resources in Thornton, Colorado

Being involved in a bicycle accident can leave you with a lot of questions and confusion about what steps to take next. Luckily, there are resources available to help you. One is the attorneys at Dormer Harpring, LLC. During your free consultation, you can tell your story and have your legal questions answered by an experienced and knowledgeable attorney. 

Another resource is Bike Thornton. This website can give you information about the roadway rules and statutes that apply to bicyclists in Thornton, as well as the responsibilities of other motorists. You may be able to use this information to understand who is at fault for your accident, as well as to gather evidence if a driver broke a law and crashed into you.

  • Address: 9500 Civic Center Dr. Thornton, CO 80229
  • Phone Number: (303) 538-7200

A third resource is Bicycle Colorado – a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase the safety and road conditions for bicyclists in the state. This organization spreads information and awareness about safe cycling, as well as organizes fundraisers and initiatives to support efforts to make biking safer in Colorado.

  • Address: 1525 Market Street #100, Denver, CO 80202
  • Phone Number: (303) 417-1544

Contact a Thornton Bicycle Accident Attorney for a Free Legal Consultation

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident in Thornton, Colorado, find out how we can help. Request a free consultation at our local law office, where we will listen to your story carefully and give you advice on what to do next. We care about bicyclists in our community and are passionate about pursuing justice. Please call (303) 747-4404 or contact us online today to learn more.